The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-07
TIE YEARLY CONFERENCE


Meeting oil the Sectety et tHerae Rt R!cn.
mond, 1ud., a reporter Of the Dapatch, Of
that city, met Rev. D. D. UpdegraG, oil
Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, and asked him:
Have your expectations Of the confer.
encs been IeallzsdW ~ ltglA
."Yes; l think on the whole ! am not In
the least disappointed. II was rot diff.
cult 10 understand from the frat tho real
object for which II was called, and that
object was diligently pnrsued to the
end" h. Il, 1.s.,5 .s
, "Do you mean that Friends intended 10
destroy your ministerial influence and
authority"
"Not at all Id any direct sonse, bat
rather to vlndicaIe our views at all
hazarda, and then bid every man look
out for the locomotive This conference
had nothing whatever to do with indlvld-
uale, only with pIinc;pleu, and In tho
declaration OF theae ita action 10 clearly
underatoodt to be adversely only, and for
the different Yearly Meetings to ratilyo or
reject" i2
"Pieaso name come Of tho strong men
and women oil the conference"
"Distinc!ion would BIO invidious and
you must judge for yourself. The person
mel Of the conference wao quito excep.
tional all through as to strength, but there
was this general distinction, some were
specially strong spiritually, others intel.
lectually, and etill others enthusiastically,
while como had fair combination In oil
Of these respects. But tho ecclesiasticGl
forces wero strongest and ct the front from
the first to Last, and the spiritual ther.
memeter ranged from temperate to zero
all through, md there vas no help for IT,"
"Are the parliamentary tactics employ
ed In this conference common in your
church deliberations" 5-t5
~ should say not. In this respect the
conference WAS q great disappointment.
II was neither one thing nor another, but
Quakerly or parliamentary as the emer.
yency demanded. So much depends you
know on whose OK is gored. l should
have been quito satisfied with a consistent
adherence 10 either course at this time,
but as 1t was, q great deal Of individual
thinking and acting was delegated to CON.
mittees, upon whom were imposed too
many onerous duties" ..#Esz'
"Has tho declared objsct OF uniting the
uuharmonious elements of the .cnuYch
been accomplished ?"
"NotdircCtly-but indirectly, and on the
well known principles Of reaction think
God will oyerrule and bring about this re-.
cult. It wss reasonable 10 suppose and
greatly to be desired, that the conference
would set prayerfully and carefully about
endeayoriDg to find some basis Of christian
tolerance for thoss who conqcientloualy
differ on the points in question. But 80
far Iron such course, the whole
subject was practically ruled out, and no
opportunity given for discussion or e3ple-
nation. Even the possibility OF tolerant
attitude toward thu. large number In the
church who CLAIM tho sacredreas OF indi.
vidual conviction, wGs not 60 much as aug.
sested, but illiberal and falincious con.
structions have bsen insisted upon with.
out diEcuaaion."
!"Was this because OF personal hostility
to you?"
by no cans. was trss!ed with more
kindness than deserve. and so far as
know, enjoy the personal love and good
will Of my associates, which heartily 70.
ciprocate. But the alarm and trepidstion
OF tho church upon these questions, are
such that they dare not stop to conaider,
until safely quarterod behind an ecclesias.
teal abattia. I think that now we shsll
come to zee more clearly the sacredneas Of
conscience as q testimony slways dear to
our people, and that our fathers bore tes.
timony againas ecclesiastical domination
over conscience no less than 'rgainst that
Of the civil power. And that the Quaker
church OF ell others is composed OF mate.
rial that Cannct be cemented by edicts, re.
atlirmations or creeds."
"Wbat will the Yearly Meetings do?"
swell, l think some OF them will just
put the creed right through as hastily as
it WEB adopted, frowning down all dis.
cussior by making it worth any mans
standing in the church to speak against 1t,
In others it will ba different and some
changes in it will be harmonious!y made,
while Of still others am not inclined to
prophecy. In come way, however, I mcst
earnestly and prsysrfully trust, go that We
may all continue to dwell together in
love, and that that there may be no
Echism in our body. To this end l shall
work and pray. And il meddlers and
busy bodies, such as arc themselves re.
eponsible to no yearly meeting, will let Us
alone, instead Of urging on and exaspera-
ting our members to diEunion, I am SAN
guino Of good results 10 the church, and
for the honor Of God"
it-.'a r..